DOCSLIB.ORG

Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalaśīla’S Bhāvanākramas: a Problem of Translation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalaśīla’S Bhāvanākramas: a Problem of Translation Buddhist Studies Review 23(1) 2006, 71–92 ISSN (print): 0256-2897 ISSN (online): 1747-9681 Two Concepts of Meditation and Three Kinds of Wisdom in Kamalaśīla’s Bhāvanākramas: A Problem of Translation MARTIN T. ADAM Religious Studies Program, Department of Pacifi c and Asian Studies, University of Victoria, British Colombia, Canada [email protected] ABSTRACT: A close reading of the three Bhāvanākramaḥ texts, written by Kamalaśīla (740–795 CE), reveals that their author was aware of two competing concepts of medi- tation prevalent in Tibet at the time of their composition. The two concepts of medi- tation, associated with the Sanskrit words bhāvanā and dhyāna, can be related respec- tively to the Indian and Chinese sides of the well-known debates at bSam yas. The account of the Mahāyāna path outlined in these texts implies an acceptance of the precedence of bhāvanā over dhyāna. In this paper I argue that Kamalaśīla advocated bhāvanā – a conception of meditation which encompasses non-conceptual dhyāna, but which also includes a discernment of reality (bhūta-pratyavekṣā) that is conceptual in nature. Such conceptual discernment should not be understood simply as a process of ordinary rational understanding (cintāmayī prajñā) but rather as constituting a special kind of meditative wisdom (bhāvanāmayī prajñā). A failure to recognize the subtle dif- ferences between Kamalaśīla’s employment of the terms dhyāna and bhāvanā, along with his advocacy of the latter, could easily lead to mistranslation and, with this, a basic misunderstanding of his position. In particular, it could lead to a conception of insight (vipaśyanā) that is overly intellectual in nature. Given the historically impor- tant role that these texts played in the formation of Tibetan Buddhism, the implica- tions of such a misconception could be far-reaching. This paper attempts to clarify the key meditation terminology found in the Bhāvanākramas as well as demonstrate the rationale for using ‘meditation’ as the default translation for bhāvanā. DIFFERENT CONCEPTS OF MEDITATION The following pages contain an analysis of a constellation of meditation-related terms found in three polemical treatises, identically entitled Bhāvanākramaḥ (The Process of Meditation). It is not clear why their author, Kamalaśīla, wrote three texts with the same title.1 There is considerable overlap among the three, and not 1. The three texts were likely composed in Tibet between 792 and 794 CE, although see Taniguchi (1992) for an argument that the fi rst Bhāvanākramaḥ was composed somewhat earlier in India. © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2006, Unit 6, The Village, 101 Amies Street, London SW11 2JW 72 BUDDHIST STUDIES REVIEW infrequently repetition. That being said, the three treatises cover an extraordi- nary range of subjects, all united around the central purpose of providing guid- ance to new practitioners of the teachings of the Mahāyāna Sūtras.2 Historically, the Bhāvanākramas’ account of meditation has been enormously infl uential. Paul Williams has referred to the texts as ‘the principal systematic Indian sources for the integration of emptiness teachings into Madhyamaka med- itation practice’ (Williams, 1989: 72). Elsewhere they have been described as ‘the origin of Tibetan tradition of how to meditate’ (Taniguchi, 1992: 303). This paper argues that there are, in fact, two competing concepts of meditation present in the texts. These two concepts are identifi able with two specifi c Sanskrit words, both of which have been commonly translated into English as ‘meditation’ – bhāvanā and dhyāna. Because Kamalaśīla does not employ these terms as syno- nyms, a problem arises for the modern day translator: which word, if either, should be privileged in translation as ‘meditation’? While neither can carry the same range of meanings as the English word (on which, see below), in this paper it is argued that Kamalaśīla regarded bhāvanā as normative for the practice of beginners in the way of the Mahāyāna Sutras. As such, ‘meditation’ should be its default translation. For these texts, it is potentially misleading to translate dhyāna as meditation. The issue is more than academic. Depending on the choice made, Kamalaśīla’s account of the Mahāyāna Buddhist path to Awakening will be radi- cally altered. To that extent, our understanding of both the doctrinal and practi- cal foundations of Tibetan Buddhism will be aff ected. According to Edward Conze, ‘The fi rst explains the doctrine of the Mahāyāna, the second how it can be meditated upon, and the third what is the result of meditation’ (1975: 177). Conze is here following a description contained in a Tibetan record cited in Tucci (1958: 40–41). The account has it that the Tibetan king, Khri Srong lde btsan, requested these explanations follow- ing Kamalaśīla’s pivotal victory in debate over a Chinese rival of the Ch’an tradition (discussed below). The ‘doctrine’ of Bhk 1 is described as that of the three kinds of wisdom (śrutamayī, cintāmayī, and bhāvanāmayī prajñā). The way of meditation of Bhk 2 is explained in light of the realization that there is only one vehicle; it is the result of this meditation that Bhk 3 is said to explain. But such categorical statements are best made with caution; all three texts contain discussions of doctrine, meditation, and its result. 2. Perhaps it is as much due to the excellence of scholarship already devoted to their study as it is to the breadth of their concern that the Bhāvanākramas tend to be among the most widely quoted of Indian Buddhist texts. Tucci has provided critical editions of the Sanskrit and Tibetan of the Bhk 1 (1958) and the Sanskrit of the Bhk 3 (1971). Of the three texts, the original Sanskrit of the Bhk 2 is lost. As well, the fi rst folio of the Sanskrit of Bhk 1 is missing, as are the edges of many of the pages of the manuscript of Bhk 3 from which Tucci worked. All three texts are, however, fully preserved in the Tibetan Tanjur. A critical edition of the Tibetan text of Bhk 2 based on the Narthang (N), Peking (P), Derge (D), and Cone (C) editions has been prepared by K. Goshima (1983). The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies has published an edition of the Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, which occasionally serves to clarify Tucci (Namdol, 1997). This contains a Hindi translation and Sanskrit reconstructions of Bhk 2 and the fi rst folio of Bhk 1. I have worked mainly from the editions of Tucci, Goshima, and the Derge Tanjur dBu ma KI (22a- 41b, 42a-55b, and 56a-68b respectively for the three texts). Unless otherwise noted, references are to Tucci for the Sanskrit texts and to D for the Tibetan. © Equinox Publishing Ltd 2006 ADAM KAMALAŚĪLA’S BHĀVANĀKRAMAS: A PROBLEM OF TRANSLATION 73 The three texts contain numerous instructions for the beginner in Mahāyāna meditation. Equally, the Bhāvanākramas constitute a kind of apology or justifi ca- tion for a particular approach to the Buddhist path. The Tibetan tradition regards them as containing a summary of arguments employed in the refutation of a Chinese Ch’an position being advocated at the time of the fi rst great transmission of Buddhism to Tibet. The debate has been characterized in terms of gradualism vs. subitism (Gomez, 1987). The gradualist view, associated with the Indian side led by Kamalaśīla, held that Awakening can only be attained after a long process of training in which one deliberately cultivates certain causes and conditions conducive to its occurrence. These causes and conditions are both moral and cog- nitive – one must cultivate specifi c moral virtues as well as a specifi c conceptual knowledge of the nature of reality. Such cultivation (bhāvanā) is a gradual process – it takes time and has defi nite steps. The subitist position, represented by a Ch’an monk (Hvashang) named Mo ho yen (Sanskrit: Mahāyāna), held that Awakening occurs suddenly, all at once. Awakening was understood as a state requiring only the practice of a non-conceptual concentration or absorption (dhyāna), wherein one’s mind is cleared from all obscuring mental activity. Attempts to cultivate specifi c moral virtues and views of reality were understood as counterproductive on the grounds that they accumulate karma and prolong one’s sojourn through cyclical existence.3 The contrary view, argued by Kamalaśīla, held that a particular kind of cogni- tive process – a ‘correct analysis’ or ‘discernment of reality’ (bhūta-pratyavekṣā) – is essential to the achievement of Awakening. Because Awakening involves a kind of knowledge (i.e. non-conceptual knowledge, nirvikalpa jñāna), and not merely concentration, it is essential to fi rst become established not only in concentration but also in a correct conceptual knowledge, which can then function to give rise to the sought after noetic state. The principle at work here is that like arises from like: one kind of knowledge arises on the basis of another. Kamalaśīla seems to have understood his opponent as arguing on the basis of the same causal princi- ple, but focusing on the other aspect of Awakening – its non- conceptuality. Thus, 3. Bhk 3 13.15–14.1: yas tu manyate / cittavikalpa samutthāpitaśubhāśubha-karmavaśena sattvāḥ svargādi karmaphalam anubhavantaḥ saṃsāre saṃsaranti / ye punar na kiṃcic cintayanti nāpi kiṃcit karma kurvanti te parimucyante saṃsārāt / tasmān na kiṃcic cintayitavyam / nāpi dānādikuśalacaryā kartavyā / kevalaṃ murkhajanam adhikṛtya dānādikuśalacaryā nirdeṣteti /; D 61b1: gang zhig sems kyi rnam par rtog pas bskyed pa’i dge ba dang mi dge ba’i las kyi dbang gis sems can rnams mtho ri la sogs pa’i ‘bras bu myong zhing ‘khor ba na ‘khor ro / gang dag ci yang mi sems ci yang mi byed pa de dag ni ‘khor ba las yongs su thar bar ‘gyur ro / de lta bas na ci yang mi bsam mo / sbyin pa la sogs pa dge ba spyad par yang mi bya’o / sbyin pa la sogs pa spyod pa ni skye bo blun po’i dbang du mdzad nas bstan pa kho na yin no snyom du sems shing de skad kyang smra ba des ni theg pa chen po mtha dag spangs pa yin no/: ‘But some consider, “Because they are subject to positive and negative actions generated by the conceptual mind, sentient beings spin around in cyclical existence experiencing the fruits of their actions, such as heaven.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Beginner's Guide to Meditation
    ABOUT THE BOOK As countless meditators have learned firsthand, meditation practice can positively transform the way we see and experience our lives. This practical, accessible guide to the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation introduces you to the practice, explains how it is approached in the main schools of Buddhism, and offers advice and inspiration from Buddhism’s most renowned and effective meditation teachers, including Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, Ajahn Chah, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Sylvia Boorstein, Noah Levine, Judy Lief, and many others. Topics include how to build excitement and energy to start a meditation routine and keep it going, setting up a meditation space, working with and through boredom, what to look for when seeking others to meditate with, how to know when it’s time to try doing a formal meditation retreat, how to bring the practice “off the cushion” with walking meditation and other practices, and much more. ROD MEADE SPERRY is an editor and writer for the Shambhala Sun magazine. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO Meditation Practical Advice and Inspiration from Contemporary Buddhist Teachers Edited by Rod Meade Sperry and the Editors of the Shambhala Sun SHAMBHALA Boston & London 2014 Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 2014 by Shambhala Sun Cover art: André Slob Cover design: Liza Matthews All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation EMP 2019HF Fall 2015 Seminars
    Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation EMP 2019HF Fall 2015 Seminars: Wednesday 7:00 to 9:00 PM Office Hours: Wednesday 5:00 to 7:00 PM or by appointment Instructor: Anne S.C. Low, Ph.D. E-mail: [email protected] Course Description: Mindfulness Meditation is a Buddhist practice that has in recent times expanded into the secular such as psychotherapy and counseling. This course will focus on the religious context and soteriological goals for which meditation is practiced within the Buddhist traditions. To this end, students will focus on the Theravada School and the Eight-Fold Path but will also look at the other Buddhist lineages that are centered on meditation, namely, Zen, Chan, and Son within the Mahayana School. This course will enable students in pastoral care, Buddhist or otherwise, to see the benefits of meditation in the two contexts of the sacred and the secular and thereby make appropriate application of mindfulness meditation within their own profession. Basic meditation techniques will also be introduced and students’ mindfulness in class will count towards class participation. Towards the end of the course, students will examine the application of mindfulness in secular places such as hospitals, schools, and therapy clinics and begin to compare the benefits of meditation as they are described in the Buddhist texts and that claimed by proponents who have introduced mindfulness meditation to secular setting. Course Methodology: Students will read primary and secondary religious texts as well as contemporary essays. Each seminar will be driven by students’ participation in class discussions. To this end, students will prepare one page (double-spaced, 12 Times New Roman) reflection papers and present them in class.
    [Show full text]
  • Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Sangharakshita
    Lecture 61: Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Sangharakshita Mr Chairman and Friends, Time is passing, as time always does pass, and it seems that we are now craw inq to tte end of our course on an Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, and this is in fact this evening the last lecture but one. Let me just remind you, before we begin, That the first half of the series, the lectures comprising the first half of the series, were more historical and as it were even institutional in character, but the second half of the series, The second group of four lectures, ses to be rather more practical, rather more, if you like, religious or spiri tual, The week before last, therefore, beginning this second group within the series, we dealt with Symbols of Tibetan Buddhist Art, and last week, as you may recollect, we dealt with the Four Foundation Yogas of the Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, Now today we come, in our seventh lecture, to the most practical, we might also say the most religious, the most spiritual, aspect of all: we come to something which constitutes the heart in many ways of the spiritual life, that is we come to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation, Now we may say, in a general way, that meditation, or dhyana, is an important aspect not only of Tibetan Buddhism but of all schools, of all Buddhist traditions whatsoever. Whether one examines the Theravada teachings or those of the general Mahayana, whether Indian or Far Eastern, whether one looks at the Tendai school or whether one looks at even the Shin school one finds that meditation in one form or another is an ortant aspect, an integral part of each and every one of them And this isn*t surprising, because from the very beginnings of Buddhism, if we go right back- to the Buddha*s own teaching, so tar as we can make thaf out, so far as we can decipher it, it does seem that an emphasis, a very great emphasis often, was placed upon what we call meditation, If we let our thoughts go back to the Buddha*s Noble Eightfold Path.
    [Show full text]
  • Meditation: an Introduction
    Meditation: An Introduction Meditation is a mind-body practice in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). There are many types of meditation, most of which originated in ancient religious and spiritual traditions. Generally, a person who is meditating uses certain techniques, such as a specific posture, focused attention, and an open attitude toward distractions. Meditation may be practiced for many reasons, such as to increase calmness and physical relaxation, to improve psychological balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall wellness. This Backgrounder provides a general introduction to meditation and suggests some resources for more information. Key Points • People practice meditation for a number of health-related purposes. • It is not fully known what changes occur in the body during meditation; whether they influence health; and, if so, how. Research is under way to find out more about meditation’s effects, how it works, and diseases and conditions for which it may be most helpful. • Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care. Overview The term meditation refers to a group of techniques, such as mantra meditation, relaxation response, mindfulness meditation, and Zen Buddhist meditation. Most meditative techniques started in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings, for health and wellness purposes. In meditation, a person learns to focus attention.
    [Show full text]
  • The Buddha Discovered Dhyana
    SD 33.1b The Buddha Discovered Dhyana The Buddha Discovered Dhyana 1b The nature of dhyana as a basis for liberation An essay1 by Piya Tan ©2010 1 Significance of dhyana Dhyana (P jhāna; Skt dhyāna) is as old as Buddhism itself, probably older. In early Buddhism, how- ever, it developed into a progressive four-stage suprasensory experience of altered consciousness, and has become uniquely Buddhist.2 The importance of dhyana in early Buddhism is attested by the fact that we have numerous discourses where the Buddha describes his experiences of them.3 In such discourses, the Buddha frequently admonishes his disciples to attain dhyana. In the suttas, we also see the word jhna used in both its two basic Buddhist senses: the general sense of “meditation,” and as “dhyana” or “mental absorption,” such as in this discourse: If a monk cultivates the first dhyana (jhāna) for even the duration of a mere finger-snap, then, bhikshus, he is called a monk who dwells as one whose meditation is not in vain (aritta-j,jhāna): a doer of the Teacher’s teaching, a follower of his advice. He does not eat the country’s alms in vain [for nothing].4 (Eka,dhamma Acchar,saghata Sutta, A 1.20/1:38) The well known meditation monk, Ajahn Brahmavaso, opens his insightful experiential paper on “The Jhnas” (2003) with this important declaration: In the original Buddhist scriptures, there is only one word for any level of meditation. Jhna designates meditation proper, where the meditator’s mind is stilled from all thought, secluded from all five-sense activity and is radiant with other-worldly bliss.
    [Show full text]
  • Expos 20: Buddhism, Mindfulness, and the Practical Mind Instructor
    Expos 20: Buddhism, Mindfulness, and the Practical Mind Instructor: Ezer Vierba Today, mindfulness is touted as a panacea, the secret to happiness and health, superb sex and unparalleled productivity. The hype is not entirely new, however. For decades, ostensibly Buddhist ideas have been tossed around in the West as recipes for success in just about any art or craft. But what hides behind this craze? Can Buddhist teachings offer us tools with which to achieve our goals, or are we corrupting Buddhism by using it in such a way? What have artists and practitioners thought of the use of meditative tools, and how have they integrated Buddhist terms like “bare awareness” and “emptiness” into their work? In order to answer such questions, we will start the course with a reading of the Satipatṭhāna Sutta, the Buddha’s instructions on mindfulness meditation. A close reading of the text in our first unit will give us a glimpse of the ancient Buddhist practice, its complexity and richness. In our second unit, we will read the text that gave the West the idea that Buddhism can allow us to “hit the mark” without trying to do so, Eugen Herrigel’s bestselling Zen in the Art of Archery. Using Edward Said’s classic work, Orientalism, we will ask if Herrigel was romanticizing Zen Buddhism, and if he was, what the consequences of such a romanticization have for Japan and the West. In our last unit, we will stage a series of class debates about "mcmindfulness," and use what scientists and Buddhist practitioners have said about the compatibility of Buddhism with its modern, secular appropriations to inform our arguments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nature of Mindfulness and Its Role in Buddhist Meditation”
    “The Nature of Mindfulness and Its Role in Buddhist Meditation” A Correspondence between B. Alan Wallace and the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi Winter, 2006 AW 1: Dear Bhante, I would first like to tell you how much I respect and appreciate the wonderful work you have done in translating the Buddha’s words and clarifying them for the modern world. You are truly an inspiration. The reason I am writing you now is to ask you about the meaning of sati in authoritative, pre-twentieth-century Pāli/Theravāda sources. As you well know, in the current Vipassana tradition as it has been widely propagated in the West, sati is more or less defined as “bare attention,” or the moment-to-moment, nonjudgmental awareness of whatever arises in the present moment. There is no doubt that the cultivation of such mindfulness is very helpful, but, strangely enough, I have found no evidence in traditional Pāli, Sanskrit, or Tibetan sources to support this definition of sati (smṛti, dran pa). Having looked in the Nikāyas, the Milindapañha, Visuddhimagga, Abhidharmakośa, Abhidharmasamuccaya, and various Tibetan Buddhist texts, I find that they are all in general agreement with this definition from Buddhaghosa: “By means of it they [i.e., other mental processes] remember, or it itself remembers, or it is simply just remembering, thus it is sati. Its characteristic is not floating; its property is not losing; its manifestation is guarding or the state of being face to face with an object; its basis is strong noting or the close applications of mindfulness of the body and so on.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist-Derived Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation for the Treatment of Psychopathology: a Systematic Review
    Mindfulness DOI 10.1007/s12671-014-0368-1 ORIGINAL PAPER Buddhist-Derived Loving-Kindness and Compassion Meditation for the Treatment of Psychopathology: a Systematic Review Edo Shonin & William Van Gordon & Angelo Compare & Masood Zangeneh & Mark D. Griffiths # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Although clinical interest has predominantly fo- approach is recommended whereby issues encountered during cused on mindfulness meditation, interest into the clinical the (ongoing) operationalization of mindfulness interventions utility of Buddhist-derived loving-kindness meditation are duly considered. In particular, there is a need to establish (LKM) and compassion meditation (CM) is also growing. accurate working definitions for LKM and CM. This paper follows the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and provides Keywords Loving-kindness meditation . Compassion an evaluative systematic review of LKM and CM intervention meditation . Mindfulness . Psychopathology . studies. Five electronic academic databases were systemati- Buddhist-derived interventions cally searched to identify all intervention studies assessing changes in the symptom severity of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (text revision fourth edition) Axis I disorders in clinical samples and/or known Introduction concomitants thereof in subclinical/healthy samples. The comprehensive database search yielded 342 papers and 20 Buddhist-derived meditation practices are increasingly being studies (comprising
    [Show full text]
  • Mindful Yoga: Where Buddhism Meets Brahmanism in the Contemporary World
    Mindful Yoga: Where Buddhism meets Brahmanism in the Contemporary World. Amber Rose Scott 210973 This dissertation was submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA Traditions of Yoga and Meditation of SOAS, University of London. Word Count: 10,545. Supervisor: Dr. Ulrich Pagel. 1 Declaration I have read and understood the School Regulations concerning plagiarism and I undertake: That all material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part by any other person(s). That any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the dissertation. That I have not incorporated in this dissertation without acknowledgment any other work previously submitted by me for any module forming part of my degree. 2 Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………4-6 What is Mindful Yoga and for whom? Fusion and distinction………………………..6-9 Methodology: Sources and challenges……………………………………………….9-12 The History of Mindful Yoga………………………………………………………12-16 The Spectrum of Mindful Yoga………………………………………………………..16 Physical practice…………………………………………………………….17-19 Therapeutic uses…………………………………………………………….20-22 An Ethical Overhaul: Altruistic aims……………………………………….22-26 Mindful Yoga and Activism………………………………………………...26-30 Articulating Mindful Yoga Activism………………………………………….........30-32 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..32-33 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………...34-40 3 INTRODUCTION. The focus of this dissertation is the category of Mindful Yoga. Mindful Yoga describes modern postural yoga1 practitioners and teachers who draw from Buddhist worldviews and modern mindfulness. I capitalize the term ‘Mindful’ to differentiate it from the descriptive ‘mindful’. The latter simply refers to a yoga practice carried out with awareness, emphasizing its therapeutic outcomes.2 Mindful Yoga goes further.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Buddhist Roots of Contemporary Non-Religious Mindfulness Practice: Moving Beyond Sectarian and Essentialist Approaches 1
    On the Buddhist roots of contemporary non-religious mindfulness practice: Moving beyond sectarian and essentialist approaches 1 VILLE HUSGAFVEL University of Helsinki Abstract Mindfulness-based practice methods are entering the Western cultural mainstream as institutionalised approaches in healthcare, educa- tion, and other public spheres. The Buddhist roots of Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and comparable mindfulness-based programmes are widely acknowledged, together with the view of their religious and ideological neutrality. However, the cultural and historical roots of these contemporary approaches have received relatively little attention in the study of religion, and the discussion has been centred on Theravāda Buddhist viewpoints or essentialist presentations of ‘classical Buddhism’. In the light of historical and textual analysis it seems unfounded to hold Theravāda tradition as the original context or as some authoritative expression of Buddhist mindfulness, and there are no grounds for holding it as the exclusive Buddhist source of the MBSR programme either. Rather, one-sided Theravāda-based presentations give a limited and oversimplified pic- ture of Buddhist doctrine and practice, and also distort comparisons with contemporary non-religious forms of mindfulness practice. To move beyond the sectarian and essentialist approaches closely related to the ‘world religions paradigm’ in the study of religion, the discus- sion would benefit from a lineage-based approach, where possible historical continuities and phenomenological
    [Show full text]
  • Early Buddhist Meditation Studies
    Endorsements This book is a joy to read! It offers a pragmatic and accessible analysis of the role of mindfulness, tranquility, and the brahma- vihāras in the early discourses of the Buddha. Bhikkhu An- ālayo tackles controversial topics: Can insight be practiced during meditative absorption? Are the brahmavihāras liberat- ing? He presents a multitude of relevant ways mindfulness can be understood, inspiring readers to expand their views. His clear and thought-provoking explorations of these questions will help readers explore how the Buddha’s teachings lead to liberation; a purpose as relevant for today’s world as it was in ancient India. Shaila Catherine Early Buddhist Meditation Studies is another example of Bhik- khu Anālayo’s keen intellect, far-ranging scholarship, and deep meditation practice illuminating the nuances and controversies of four areas of contemporary Buddhist dialogue. Given the current widespread use of the term mindfulness, of particular interest to the general reader will be his careful and systematic elaboration of how this now popular word is being used with different and complementary meanings. And for those inter- ested in delving deeper into the relationship between insight and tranquility, the experience and application of jhānic ab- sorption, and the role of the brahmavihāras on the path of liberation, this wonderful collection will help to clarify and deepen our understanding. This book is a dharma treasure of scholarship and discernment, opening up new possibilities for our own practice and realization.
    [Show full text]
  • Ānâpāna,Sati Sutta
    SD 7.13 M 118/3:78-88 • nāpānasati Sutta Ānâpāna,sati Sutta 13 The Discourse on the Mindfulness of the In-and-out-breathing | M 118 Theme: The breath meditation locus classicus Translated and annotated by Piya Tan ©2003 1 The Sutta 1.1 BACKGROUND. In the Icchā,nagala Sutta (S 54.11), breath meditation is declared to be ―the noble abode, the perfect abode, the Tathagata‘s abode,‖1 because during the rains-retreat, the Buddha ―most- ly dwells in the concentration by mindfulness of breathing.‖2 The chief text of ―the mindfulness of in-and- out breathing‖ (nâpna,sati) is of course the Ānâpāna,sati Sutta (the discourse on the mindfulness of the in-and-out-breathing) found in the Majjhima Nikya (M 118/3:77-88). There are also four brief versions of the breath meditation (S 54.13-16) [1.2]. The Madhyama Āgama of the Sarvâstivda does not have any such sutta, but there is an isolated text in the Chinese Madhyama Āgama.3 The Pli Ānâpāna,sati Sutta is an exposition of the 16 steps of breath meditation in four tetrads [§§15-22] and the relationship of tetrads to the four focuses of mindfulness [§§23-28], the seven awakening-factors [§§29-40] and spiritual liberation [§§41-43]. The sixteen steps are found as a separate set in the Sarvâstivda Madhyama and Sayukta.4 The inspiring sutta prologue takes up about a quarter of the unabridged sutta. The Buddha has just completed the three-month rains retreat with various prominent elder monks who have been exhorting and instructing new monks (§§1-4).
    [Show full text]